Why Political Liberalism?

On John Rawls's Political Turn

Paul Weithman

Oxford Political Philosophy

The book draws very heavily on Part III of "Theory of Justice," a part of Rawls's magisterial first book that is too often neglected and misunderstood.
It shows that Rawls, both early and late, was moved by a precise, game-theoretic concern: that a just society would be destabilized by a generalized prisoner's dilemma.
The book provides a unified interpretation of Rawls's turn to political liberalism.
At crucial points, the interpretation draws some support from Rawls's recently published "Lectures in the History of Moral Philosophy" and "Lectures in the History of Political Philosophy."

Why Political Liberalism?

On John Rawls's Political Turn

Paul Weithman

Description

In Why Political Liberalism?, Paul Weithman offers a fresh, rigorous, and compelling interpretation of John Rawls's reasons for taking his so-called "political turn". Weithman takes Rawls at his word that justice as fairness was recast as a form of political liberalism because of an inconsistency Rawls found in his early treatment of social stability. He argues that the inconsistency is best seen by identifying the threats to stability with which the early Rawls was concerned. One of those threats, often overlooked by Rawls's readers, is the threat that the justice of a well-ordered society would be undermined by a generalized prisoner's dilemma. Showing how the Rawls of "A Theory of Justice" tried to avert that threat shows that the much-neglected third part of that book is of considerably greater philosophical interest, and has considerably more unity of focus, than is generally appreciated.

Weithman painstakingly reconstructs Rawls's attempts to show that a just society would be stable, and just as carefully shows why Rawls came to think those arguments were inconsistent with other parts of his theory. Weithman then shows that the changes Rawls introduced into his view between "Theory of Justice" and "Political Liberalism" result from his attempt to remove the inconsistency and show that the hazard of the generalized prisoner's dilemma can be averted after all. Recovering Rawls's two treatments of stability helps to answer contested questions about the role of the original position and the foundations of justice as fairness. The result is a powerful and unified reading of Rawls's work that explains his political turn and shows his enduring engagement with some of the deepest concerns of human life.

Why Political Liberalism?

On John Rawls's Political Turn

Paul Weithman

Oxford Political Philosophy

Introduction
1. The Public Basis of View
2. Stability and Congruence
3. Ideals and Inconsistency
4. The Acquisition of Four Desires
5. Thin Reasons to be Just
6. The Argument from Love and Justice
7. Kantian Congruence and the Unified Self
8. The Great Unraveling
9. The Political Ideals of Justice as Fairness
10. Comprehensive Reasons to be Just
Conclusion

Why Political Liberalism?

On John Rawls's Political Turn

Paul Weithman

Oxford Political Philosophy

Author Information

Paul Weithman is Professor of Philosophy, University of Notre Dame

Why Political Liberalism?

On John Rawls's Political Turn

Paul Weithman

Oxford Political Philosophy

Reviews and Awards

Winner of the 2012 David and Elaine Spitz Prize

"Unfortunately for the Rawls weary, Weithman's, Why Political Liberalism? On John Rawls's Political Turn, is excellent. It both justifies the current focus on Rawls (especially his later work) and manages to push Rawls scholarship in new and innovative directions." --Kevin Vallier, Journal of Moral Philosophy

"Why Political Liberalism? offers an extraordinarily close and perceptive reading of Rawls, one strikingly different from those currently on offer."--Terence Cuneo, Faith and Philosophy

"Paul Weithman has written an original, important, and enlightening study of Rawl's 'political turn'." --Ethics

"Why Political Liberalism? is a wonderful book, one that is required reading for anyone with an interest in Rawls's political philosophy."--Notre Dame Philosophical Review

"Paul Weithman has written what is undoubtedly the most patient, probing, and imaginative study we have of John Rawls' 'political liberalism'. Explaining the reasons for the dramatic shift in Rawls' later thinking about the nature of justice and political society, Weithman also shows why this reorientation ought to engage the attention of anyone who cares about liberal ideals and the fate of democratic institutions. This book is not only an interpretive work of the first order. It also constitutes a distinctive theoretical achievement in its own right." --Charles Larmore, Brown University

"Weithman's reconstruction of Rawls's arguments is masterful, convincing and in many ways revelatory. Readers will find that the text provides compelling answers to a lot of puzzling questions about Rawls's project that have lingered for some time. Perhaps most importantly, Weithman gives the best explanation to date of exactly why Rawls felt compelled to revise his theory as he did." -- Colin Bird, Department of Politics, University of Virginia

"Weithman has written a masterful work of Rawls scholarship. This book will deepen our understanding of how and why Rawls restructured his theory, and illuminate this fascinating transition in the history of political philosophy." -- Leif Wenar, Chair of Ethics, Kings College London

"Weithman's account has much to offer and has the added benefit of drawing attention to themes in Rawls's work too often overlooked...the book makes an important case."--American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly